The Mediterranean shrubland is a mosaic of vegetation types mainly related to fire disturbance. In Castel Volturno Nature Reserve (South Italy) patches of high and low maquis are occurring with small gaps in the shrub cover dominated by herbs. The mosaic of shrub cover contributes to the high spatial variability of soil biological processes. No data are yet available for clearings. In this study in clearings, dominated by herbaceous species, belowground and aboveground biomass and some soil chemical, physical and biological characteristics were measured. The total plant biomass reached the value of 908,04 ± 83,99 g m-2 at the end of the vegetative period (March – June). The belowground biomass was mostly produced in the first phases of the vegetative cycle, and didn’t increase markedly in the later phases. Soil organic matter was 8,71 ± 0,62 % and pH was 7,18 ± 0,08. Soil microbial biomass and respiration increased from March to May as did the aboveground biomass, and decreased in the following drought period. The values of endogenous mineralization coefficient suggested a slow utilization of soil organic carbon while the low values of catabolic evenness were indicative of low microbial funtctional biodiversity.
Plant biomass and soil metabolic activity in clearings of the Mediterranean maquis of Castel Volturno Nature Reserve / DE MARCO, Anna; Esposito, F.; Gentile, A.; Meola, A.; Rutigliano, F. A.; Virzo De Santo, A.. - (2006), pp. 1-1. (Intervento presentato al convegno International Workshop Mind project: “The vulnerability of Mediterranean Terrestrial Ecosystems to Climate Change” tenutosi a Roma (Italy) nel 26-28 Aprile 2006).
Plant biomass and soil metabolic activity in clearings of the Mediterranean maquis of Castel Volturno Nature Reserve
DE MARCO, ANNA;
2006
Abstract
The Mediterranean shrubland is a mosaic of vegetation types mainly related to fire disturbance. In Castel Volturno Nature Reserve (South Italy) patches of high and low maquis are occurring with small gaps in the shrub cover dominated by herbs. The mosaic of shrub cover contributes to the high spatial variability of soil biological processes. No data are yet available for clearings. In this study in clearings, dominated by herbaceous species, belowground and aboveground biomass and some soil chemical, physical and biological characteristics were measured. The total plant biomass reached the value of 908,04 ± 83,99 g m-2 at the end of the vegetative period (March – June). The belowground biomass was mostly produced in the first phases of the vegetative cycle, and didn’t increase markedly in the later phases. Soil organic matter was 8,71 ± 0,62 % and pH was 7,18 ± 0,08. Soil microbial biomass and respiration increased from March to May as did the aboveground biomass, and decreased in the following drought period. The values of endogenous mineralization coefficient suggested a slow utilization of soil organic carbon while the low values of catabolic evenness were indicative of low microbial funtctional biodiversity.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
